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An unforeseen, magical thing happened at Eastwood High School 34 years ago this spring.
The year was 1977 and Jimmy Carter had just been sworn into the oval office. The World Trade Center was completed, a gallon of gas cost 65 cents and the movie “Star Wars” opened at the box office.
It was a different era, especially for women's athletics.
The inaugural Ohio state boys’ basketball tournament, sponsored by Ohio Wesleyan University, began in 1909. The first Ohio state basketball tournament for girls, however, wasn't held until 1976.
“Women's sports was so new back then,” said Carol (Bruning) Kidman, who was a 5-foot-8 junior point guard on Eastwood's 1976-77 girls basketball team. “We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into.”
Kidman, whose parents, Betty and Dale Bruning, coached the Eagles back then, said she and her teammates played basketball “because we loved the camaradarie and we loved playing the game.”
That 1976-77 Eastwood team finished 17-4 and reached the Class AA state championship game. No one saw it coming.
“It was a team effort,” Kidman said. “It was fun to be around the people, and then you start winning and you think, 'Oh my gosh, this could be something really special.' I think we were a little ahead of our time because we would fast break. We had a good inside game, good outside shooters and we played really good team defense.”
The team consisted of Carol Bruning, its top scorer, along with Ann Kurfess, Linda Gardner, Bobbi Smithey, Cathy Smithey, Jackie Wenz, Shelly Shammo, Linda Stein, Vanessa Stevens and Margaret Thornton.
The Eagles had a good mix of young players and veterans who all got along with one another.
“We had really good athletes,” Kidman said. “All of those girls on the basketball team also played volleyball or ran track. There was no 3-point line, no shot clock. It was old-school basketball. We could run four corners. We would practice against boys; my parents would bring in some kids who weren't on the boys' basketball team. My parents were great teachers, and we had that team unity and great things happened.”
Eastwood got off to a rough start in 1976-77, losing to Perrysburg (47-33) and Lake (42-40) to open the season. The Eagles won their next six games before dropping a 37-35 heart-breaker to Bowling Green.
Eastwood won its next 11 games, including several by huge margins, on its way to the state championship game.
No grand plan
Kurfess married Warren Hale in 1983 and had three sons, and she now teaches DECA at Penta Career Center. Hale, a senior wing/forward on the 1976-77 squad, said none of her teammates had any grand plan to get to Columbus that season.
“I don't think anybody was expecting it,” she said. “Dale Bruning was our coach, just as much as Betty was. He was there for every practice and on the bench during games. They wanted pure shooters. They made sure we could shoot the ball, and we had girls who could shoot the ball. We had good team chemistry, and that came from the coaches.”
Linda Gardner, a 5-8 forward who was known more for her defensive skills than as a scorer, married Jim Hammer in 1981 and had four children. Hammer said she didn't believe anyone on the 1976-77 team originally had their sights set on actually playing for a state title.
“It was just one of those things,” she said. “You were in it at the moment.”
Hale added, “I really did not expect to go that far. I don't think any of us did. Every game was a new game with just as much excitement as we went on.”
The Eagles finished the regular season with a 10-3 record, culminating with a 63-29 rout of Suburban Lakes League rival Otsego. The two teams squared off again in the sectional tournament opener, and the Eagles sprinted to a 62-21 victory.
Eastwood beat Genoa by 30 points in the sectional final and defeated Perrysburg in the district opener, setting up the district title game against Cardinal Stritch. The Cardinals were a team to be reckoned with, having reached the Class AA state semifinals the previous year.
“We beat them at Owens, on this rubber court they used to have,” Hale said of the Eagles' 47-36 victory.
Eastwood then faced top-ranked Ontario in the regional semifinals and came away with a 46-33 win. The Eagles earned a trip to the state semis with a 41-36 victory over Avon in the regional title game.
On to Columbus
Eastwood dispatched of Springfield Northwestern, 51-40, in the state semifinal game to set up the state championship clash against powerful Warsaw River View, which brought a 22-0 record into the contest.
The entire Eastwood community got caught up in the Eagles' postseason run. Schools were officially closed on the day of the championship game, which was held at Ohio State's 13,276-seat St. John Arena.
“The crowd Eastwood had down there had to be one of the largest crowds anyone had,” Hale said. “Everybody was dressed in rugby shirts and big overalls. All the guys dressed in rugby shirts and stuff. We had a huge crowd. It was something you'll never forget.”
River View, however, spoiled the party. The Black Bears held the Eagles 15 points below their season scoring average en route to a 41-38 victory.
“It was one of those games where the pressure probably got to us,” Hammer said. “We were probably tight and nervous. I remember being in a big gym like that, and the only people you knew in the gym were in the bleacher area. You didn't want to look up.”
Hale's playing time had diminished once the Eagles reached the regional tournament. She said Dale and Betty Bruning pretty much stuck with the five girls who had started most of the season – Bobbi and Cathy Smithey, Carol Bruning, Vanessa Stevens and Linda Gardner.
Still, Hale recalled, Eastwood had several opportunities to hand River View its first loss.
“We could have won the game,” Hale said. “We had the skills to win that game. If I remember correctly, we went on a scoring drought where nothing went in. Shots went halfway down and came out. We got in a hole and the shots just didn't fall like we were used to.”
Back to reality
When the team returned home, it was given a fire truck escort through Luckey and Pemberville. There was a parade and an assembly at Eastwood High School, and each player received a “State '77” charm.
“It was a big day,” Kidman said. “Even the local businesses closed.”
Carol Bruning went on to play basketball at Miami (Ohio) before moving to Tarpon Springs, Fla., in 1982. She and her husband, George Kidman, have been married for 27 years and have two children. Their son, Alex, 25, played football and baseball at Hillsdale (Mich.) College and their daughter, Allison, 23, played softball at the University of Michigan.
The players on the 1976-77 team went their separate ways after high school. Coach Betty Bruning passed away a decade ago; Dale Bruning, 83, is recovering from a recent fall. Yet nothing will ever be able to take away the bond that the Eagles' players and coaches built during that magical season.
“I'm very proud of the fact that I played in a state championship game,” Hammer said. “It was one of those years where things came together. It was a fun ride, no doubt about it.”
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Eastwood’s 1977 Class AA state runner-up team: (left to right) Vanessa Stevens, Margaret Thornton, Linda Stein, Shelly Shammo, Carol Bruning, Kathy Smithey, Bobbi Smithey, Linda Gardner, Ann Kurfess, Jackie Wenz, Coach Betty Bruning. (Photo reprinted from the 1977 Aquila, the Eastwood yearbook)
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Ann (Kurfess) Hale sets for a shot while teammates Shelly Shammo and Linda Stein look on. (Photo reprinted from the 1977 Aquila, the Eastwood yearbook)
Pic-Eastwood77-CarolBruning
Carol (Kidman) Bruning drives for two points. (Photo reprinted from the 1977 Aquila, the Eastwood yearbook)
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